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02/20/2012

Kucinich doesn't like new Kaptur ad

Dennis Kucinich, fighting to win the 9th Congressional District that includes Toledo, is strenuously protesting opponent Marcy Kaptur's new hard-hitting TV ad.

The ad accuses Mr. Kucinich of voting "no" on several projects of importance to the Democratic constituencies of labor, seniors, and veterans, concludes that that's reason she was endorsed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

It also features a snippet of the Space Needle landmark in Seattle, a city where Kucinich had reportedly considered planning a run for Congress last year when it appeared that his district would be eliminated in the decennial redistricting.

The ad highlights comments Kaptur has been making in candidate appearances and debates, that Kucinich’s opposition to defense appropriations bills would imperil federal spending in the district.

In a letter sent Saturday to The Plain Dealer's publisher, president and chief executive officer, Terrance C. Z. Egger, and the newspaper's editorial board, Kucinich addresses each of the claims and then calls on the PD to disavow the references to itself.

Kaptur, of Toledo, and the incumbent in the 9th district, and Kucinich, of Cleveland, the incumbent in the former 10th district, along with Cleveland video entrepreneur Graham Veysey, are vying in the March 6 primary for the Democratic nomination for the 9th District.

The letter – written by “the Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich committee” - says Kaptur “is making claims regarding U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich's voting record that grossly misrepresent and distort the truth.”

The first item is that he voted "no" on a 2009 defense budget bill that included $42 million for new manufacturing jobs. Kucinich said he opposed the bill because of his opposition to the Iraq war.

He voted against another 2009 budget bill that contained than $15 billion for veterans care, Kaptur said. Kucinich made the same defense – while he supported the projects, he opposed the “billions of dollars in military aid” in the same bill.

He said he has led the effort to find causes and treatments for veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome and doesn’t deserve to be labeled “anti-veterans” as he believes the Kaptur ad does.

The third item goes back to 2000 when Kucinich voted against the “Democrats' prescription drug benefit for seniors” – this time because it contained excessive military spending.

“It is not surprising that Kaptur, faced with the toughest political challenge in her career, might resort to such vile and dishonest tactics. But, desperation is no excuse for dishonesty,” the Kucinich campaign opined in its letter.